Construction Paper and Paste Baths
by Celestial Rainstorm
Summary: Zim has a horrible day at Skool. But there is that ever-faithful SIR robot waiting for him at home...


**Here is my very first _Invader Zim _fanfic! My best friend on here, Razi, sucked me into this thing, and now I guess I am a Zimtard, along with being a 9tard and a few other things. You may know me as the author of 9: The Savior Returns, and here is a simple little oneshot. Razi, I dedicate this to you, and I hope you like! **

**~Cel**

It has been a terrible, absolutely torturous day at Skool.

Everything that could have happened that he didn't want to happen seemed to have happened to Zim that day. It had been a quiet fall morning, but as soon as recess occurred, and Ms. Bitters kicked everyone out of her classroom, the whole day seemed to have ended for the young teenage Irken.

He has been quietly reading a book underneath a tree on his favorite bench. Minding his own business, Zim was particularly startled when the book suddenly slammed him in the face. He gave out a cry of surprise as the book dropped back into his lap, and he rubbed his aching forehead, now plagued with a horrid headache.

"Heh-heh-heh. What'cha readin', Zim?" Dib cackled nastily before smirking at Zim, his malicious brown eyes glistening with joy that he had been successful in smacking his enemy in the face without him even knowing, before turning away and walking back into Skool. Zim gave a most un-human snarl, before snapping his book shut, tucking it under his skinny arm, and walking dejectedly into the Skool as the end of recess bell rang out to signal the children back inside.

"One day, Dib…one day…" Zim muttered angrily under his breath, his aching head throbbing intensely. Walking into the Skool, he lost track of Dib in the massive sea of sweaty, stinky, sticky children, but Zim hardly cared. He was tired of experiencing physical pain from Dib, or from of the other children.

Suddenly, his skin burned intensely.

Zim screamed out, and Dib stood before him, victorious, pretending to sip out of a plastic cup that he had swiped from the nurse's office as he went there before recess with a stubbed toe (the nurse had healed it with some salt and a napkin, seeing as the bandages had run out earlier), filling it with water from the water dispenser in the teacher's lounge. Zim's skin blazed in pain, and tears came to his grey-blue eyes. He sank to his knees, biting his lower lip with his sharp Irken teeth, trying to keep from screaming out, not wanting to attract any of the staff's attention.

"Too wet for you, Zim? Oh, I'm sorry." Dib apologized sarcastically before turning away, cackling softly and dispensing of the cup in the trash. Zim looked up at his enemy with loathing before managing to pick himself up and limp into Ms. Bitter's class.

Zim walked home with a dejected heart and a hung head, which still pounded with the aches. Although, usually, more was done to him on a regular day, his entire body hurt, and with each step, he seemed to fall apart. Finally, _finally_, after all that walking, a familiar, surreal green house came into view, creepy red-capped gnomes dotting the yard everywhere. Zim gave a great sigh of relief. Home.

He didn't bother to knock on the door. He just walked in. He had deprogrammed the Robo-Parents last night, seeing as they were annoying. Also, Robo-Father had been puked on last night by a certain robot child who had eaten too much "candy"…

Sitting on the soft peach-colored couch was none other than GIR. He was cheerfully watching one of his measly, unimportant television shows, a bowl of yellow Orville Redenbacher popcorn beside him. He wasn't in his green dog disguise today, and his wide turquoise eyes were glued to the screen of the television set, a goofy little grin plastered on his face, his small pink tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. He seemed like he hadn't moved for hours, but as soon as Zim walked into the living room, he turned towards him, and jumped at least three feet in the air, spattering popcorn all over the rug, screaming, "YAYYYYY! MASTAH'S HOME! HAI, MASTAH!"

But Zim didn't look at him. He didn't even yell or rebuke him for screaming. All he did was pause by the couch, and murmur, in a defeated voice, "GIR, will you please watch the house? I must take my bath." Before waiting for an answer, the teenage Irken marched himself to the bathroom of the house. GIR blinked in confusion, staring after him, his anxiety rising as he saw his master's dejected manner.

"Okay, Master. I'll watch the house." He murmured, long after Zim had disappeared around the corner.

The bathtub was already filled with the liquidly white paste, heated and bubbling a bit. It was Zim's equivalent to a bubble bath the humans took to enjoy themselves. He sighed before stripping himself of his clothes, gloves, boots, and his hairpiece, too tired to even bother with his contacts. He stepped over the rim of the tub, and slowly sank into the warm paste, exhaling deeply as the warmth seeped into his smooth, green skin. Zim lay in the tub for awhile without moving, letting the warm paste work its way through his tired, aching Irken muscles and relieve some of the pain. His eyes were closed, but behind the dark lids of his eyes, he saw images of Dib laughing as he inflicted daily pain. Zim only hurt Dib to keep him away. He didn't hit, push, or pour acidic water all over him for the fun of it, even though he was his mortal enemy.

Zim sighed to himself, wishing that the humans would just leave him alone. Why must the Almighty Tallest place him on such a stupid planet? But he would not fail to help the Armada conquer it. It would soon be Irk's.

Right now, Zim wanted to think of nothing. Not Dib. Not Irk. Not the Armada. Nothing.

His mind still pounded with the headache.

The warmth of the paste had mostly worn off, and Zim realized he had been in the tub for over an hour. Blinking, he quickly stood, his body dripping a bit, his knees shaking.

"Stupid android…probably blew up the house by now…" He muttered to himself, drying the paste to his body and dressing himself quickly. GIR was extremely accident-prone, and had a hard time keeping himself out of trouble. Dashing out of the restroom, Zim rushed to the living room, to find…

GIR still sitting on the couch, eating popcorn with a slightly anxious look on his metallic silver face, his blue eyes drooping a bit, most unlike his normal self. Zim blinked, extremely surprised. GIR didn't seem to have moved for the entire hour, and he looked over at his master solemnly.

"Master? Why are you sad? You seem very sad. Why?" GIR questioned rapidly, although his usually annoying high-pitched voice was lowered, for which Zim was thankful. He didn't feel like answering GIR, and stayed silent, walking to the couch and sitting on the other side, away from GIR, kicking off his boots with an air of annoyance and laying on his back on the soft cushions. He wanted to sleep, for he was so exhausted, but as soon as he closed his eyes, he felt the cushions bounce and something bowed his part of the couch. He sighed in exasperation, and opened one eye to see the SIR unit hovering over him.

"Ech…what is it, GIR?" He snapped, closing his eyes again as his poor head gave another unmerciful throb.

"I want to know why Master is sad. Master is worrying GIR." GIR said softly, sitting beside Zim and watching him. Zim rubbed his temple for a moment, before he sat up and glared at GIR, who found him much less scary when his sinister ruby eyes were hidden behind the blue-grey contacts. GIR did not flinch from the glare, but watched the Irken expectantly.

"Eh…just a hard day at the Skool, okay? Now leave it be." He said in a slightly annoyed voice. This android was his servant, not his counselor! Irkens were much tougher than that. GIR blinked again, before laying a hand on Zim's arm. The alien glared at GIR, who knew that touching his master was off-limits, but he didn't move away. GIR throwing a crying fit would be the end. He couldn't handle it. He would probably explode.

"Master is very sad. Does Master need cheering?" GIR asked, his wide cyan eyes boring into the irate teenager's. "Or waffles? Waffles are goooooood. Waffles make me happy, Master." GIR offered, taking his hand from Zim's arm and sitting back, watching for a response. Zim sighed and closed his eyes.

"No, GIR. No waffles. I don't feel like it." He said, but as soon as he heard the single sniff, he quickly added, his eyes snapping open, trying to ensure that the demented robotic child would not throw a fit, "but that is a very kind offer. Thank you."

This seemed to calm GIR for a moment, who placed his index finger on his lower metallic lip, obviously thinking, and Zim was extremely glad that he wasn't as hyper as he usually was. That would have increased the headache tenfold. GIR suddenly snapped to his feet, and ran out of the room at top speed. Zim's eyes didn't follow the demented robot child, nor did he care. GIR was always hyper, no matter what – even in his sleep. He closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep; wanting to forget the aching pain and the torment he endured that day.

It was a little over two hours later when Zim was gently shaken awake. In the darkness of his mind, a cold little hand was shaking his shoulder, and the consciousness of the world came back to him. His green eyelids fluttered open, and he lifted his gloved hands, rubbing his tired eyes, yawning.

"Mastah, I finished. Master, wake up, I finished it." GIR's annoying little voice piped up, and Zim groaned, his head still throbbing intensely. Opening his eyes, he saw that there was a dark blue blanket thrown over his body, one of which he knew he hadn't put on himself. Blinking, he turned to see GIR standing beside him with a goofy little grin, holding something behind his back with his other hand. Zim raised an eyebrow at the robot, questioning him.

"What, exactly, did you finish, GIR?" He asked slowly, and GIR gave a delighted little squeal before taking whatever he was holding out into the light of sight, and holding it in both palms.

"Tah-dah!" He squealed, closing his eyes and giving a huge grin, his little pink tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth. Zim blinked, and a small smile couldn't help but creep it's way into his lips.

"GIR…that's…" He tried to say, but words failed him. In the little android's hands, he held a piece of construction paper, and on it, was a carefully detailed mosaic of Zim himself, although he was in his "human form" and GIR was in his green dog suit. Both were smiling, although Zim's was a little demented, and GIR just looked silly.

"Wow. GIR…" Zim said, taking the paper picture and examining it closely. He never really realized what a good…friend, really, GIR was. He had taken the time to make this for him? It almost looked like the characters depicted upon the paper really breathed…

"Thanks, GIR. This is…pretty." Zim said, and GIR squealed, jumping up on the couch and collecting the teenage alien in a tight hug, burying his face in his soft, deep pink shirt, sighing and giving a goofy little grin. Zim blinked in surprise, but then he smiled and reached down, slightly hugging GIR back.

He didn't even notice that his headache was gone.


End file.
